We all know that, for whatever reasons, a lot of people are applying for jobs these days. Heck, Southwest Airlines alone received over 90,000 resumes in 2009. Whether you are receiving 100 resumes or ten times that many, you want the best talent you can find. And that’s going to mean sifting through that stack of resumes and then finding time to meet face to face with the best candidates.
When you hire people, face-to-face interviews reveal a lot more than a simple paper resume ever can. A resume shows a list of skills (many of which are artificially bloated – I’m just saying). But being able to get face-to-face with someone gives you a good sense of their professionalism and energy, and even their thinking (as well as any strange quirks or habits).
Cutting to the Chase
In an ideal world, you would interview everyone face to face. But obviously that is impossible (especially if you are someone like Southwest Airlines). So you need to funnel it down. And here’s an effective trick for doing just that: video cover letters.
A video cover letter will give you an opportunity much like meeting in person for a couple of minutes (long enough to gain a good first impression). You will be able to see quickly how the person conducts themselves, whether they can articulate and answer the questions you pose, and whether they project a professional image. Yes, you can get all that from a one-to-two-minute video!
Setting it Up
Requiring a video cover letter is much easier than you may think. Here is how to go about having people submit one:
- In your advertisement or job listing, provide a link to a dedicated page on your website that specifies the job parameters.
- Make it clear that the applicants need to respond with a video cover letter. Let them know what you want to see – such as having them state their name, the job they are applying for, and an overview of their qualifications – and then have them answer two or three questions that you have specifically listed.
- Be sure you ask questions that will allow them to answer quickly. Ideally, you will want to keep the videos to no more than two minutes total. (You can even state this as a requirement, in your initial ad). If the videos are too long, you could spend all day watching them. (Just imagine 100 videos at 5 or 6 minutes each!)
- Put a video of yourself on the page that contains the request for the video cover letter. After all, what’s good for the goose is good for the gander. Plus, this will give them a sense of who they are submitting their video to.
- You will need to provide an ‘out.’ Although most people have access to cameras, there are still some people who do not. Let people know that, if they absolutely cannot submit the video, they will need to send a traditional cover letter. But ask that they state in the cover letter that they could not make the video, and still require that they respond to the questions you posed. That way, you can weed out the people who are truly applying for your opportunity, versus people who are just sending out blanket responses.
Residual Benefits
This process can save you a lot of time. Heck, you may turn some of those two-minute videos off at the 30-second mark – a luxury that you don’t have in a live interview. But there are other benefits, as well, such as the fact that the videos may be posted to YouTube, or wherever they submit them, and others may see those videos and want to know more about all the hype it generates about your company.
That means more (potentially very talented) people getting interested in your job opening. And that is a good thing!
By Mike Michalowicz, Author of The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur
